The Tie That Binds Us
by tashamiller2k
Summary: Elle has worked out something about her power that has an impact on Claire. EClaire - Femslash
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Notes:**_

_I'm Tasha, a long time ago a wrote a lot of fanfiction, which is still stored around the place and on , I've been reading some Heroes fanfic and have decided to dabble in some writing again. I hope you enjoy. _

_Of course I don't claim any ownership to Elle or Claire or any part of Heroes, I'm just playing with the characters for my own amusement._

_This is Femslash – if you don't like the idea of two girls together I suggest you stop reading right now._

_This is set in AU future loosely based around what we saw when Peter went forward at the start of S3. Most of this is my own imagination or based on what I've seen in season three._

Claire screamed in agony as the white hot lightening engulfed her. The second she started screaming the lightening stopped and she slumped to her knees. She started crying, great heaving sobs, of relief. It had been years since she'd felt pain and suddenly she was completely paralyzed by it. She felt warm arms wrap around her but she was still too caught up in the aftermath of the overwhelming emotional impact of actually feeling pain. It was too much, the pain ebbed and her body regenerated but the complete shock and joy of feeling pain caused her to completely break down. She cried, she cried until she fell asleep and the next thing she knew was waking up in an unfamiliar room.

Whenever Claire and Elle ran into each other over the years somehow they ended up in bed together. This was after Elle had parted ways with Gabriel and left him with a child to raise. Claire had already been numb from pain for years when she and Elle met up. Elle was rouge, not even part of Peters group or any group. She was alone, more of a mercenary as she would pop up as Claire was hunting down others. The first time had been rough, bites and kisses. Their fight had been the result of a completely chance run in at a motel they were both staying at, the fight had taken an about face. Claire still didn't know how it happened, who kissed who first, when the first item of clothing was removed, she doesn't remember the mechanics of much of it only that she felt more alive in the moments with Elle than she had in a very long time. Claire had tried using sex to fill the numb in her life, to feel alive, sleeping with men never worked, so she tried sleeping with women which helped. But it was nothing like the sex she had with Elle, filled with anger and passion and a history of two women whose live were inexplicably interwoven. Every time they met they fought, there was a weak intention and unspoken knowledge that they were enemies, but fights always turned into something else, someone would land on top and instead of another blow there would be a rough kiss and it all changed.. Elle would spark and fry Claire, a lot, when they fought and when they fucked. It never hurt, but Claire always attributed the amazing sex to the feeling of electricity over her skin, burning it, the unique sensation of electric shock without pain. But that night, one final night where Claire knew they weren't going to fuck because this time the orders were directly to kill Elle, to remove her. Before that night Elle had never been the target or the plan, she just appeared sometimes. But that night Claire was there to kill Elle and Elle knew it, she could feel the tension and see the determination on Claire's face. Elle had to protect herself so summoned up the most powerful electric charge she could. When that blast hit Claire it hurt, despite her supposedly being unable to feel pain, that bolt of lightening crackled through her and brought her to her knees. It was the most agonizing pain she had felt and it was fantastic.

Claire heard a child playing as she moved through the house she had woken up in. She had quickly realized it was in fact a house that was once her home. She wandered into the kitchen and stumbled across an image of perfect suburban bliss. Gabriel is making waffles; Noah is playing with his toys on the floor of the dining area and Elle is reading the paper with a cup of coffee. Claire felt like she had stumbled into some sort of commercial it all looked so normal. It felt so surreal to see a woman who had been her lover and her nemesis sitting at the table like a normal person, her son playing, her husband cooking. But Claire knew Elle had left Gabriel, so why were they here, why of all places did Elle bring her to his home.

"Good Morning Claire, would you like some waffles?" Gabriel smiled at his niece.

Before Claire could answer she was wrapped into a warm hug from Elle. She hadn't even noticed her move but somehow she had closed the distance from the dining room table and enveloped Claire into a bear hug.

"Thank God you're awake, that you're Ok" Elle pulled back and grinned at the younger blonde.

"Sorry, but what the fu-" she glanced at Noah on the floor making car noises "What on earth is going on?" Claire was so confused and kind of angry, angry that her lover would bring her here, was she trying to rub her nose in the family's domestic bliss?

"I didn't know where else to take you" Elle had released her and was realizing that perhaps this wasn't the ideal place to have brought Claire. The Petrelli family didn't really get along with each other. Except for Peter and Gabriel but that was still a somewhat frosty alliance. Not many could see past the memory of Sylar and recognize Gabriel as a caring man.

"This is a safe place for you both" Gabriel smiled softly "I wish Elle would visit more often but she knows this is a safe place she can always come to"

Claire really didn't understand anything, she didn't understand why it had hurt, why she was alive still and had no idea how she had ended up at Gabriel Gray's home, which was once her home.

"I should go, I need to go" Claire mumbled.

"Wait" Elle grabbed her "Don't, please don't. They think you're dead Claire. Everyone is shaking in their boots that I did something and now you're gone." She paused "I'm shaking in my boots that I managed to hurt you."

"I shouldn't be here Elle, this is all too weird" Claire pulled away and headed for the door. Elle stopped her in the hallway, now out of earshot of Gabriel and Noah.

"Claire you can't walk away from me, I know it's strange to be here of all places. But you have to understand that Gabriel is just a friend, and I owe it to him to be around at least sometimes for our son." Elle took a deep breath and held onto Claire's shoulders, staring into her eyes "You were made for me Claire, I know this. I'm not some big romantic and think there is someone destined for all of us, I like to think we make our own lives and our own destiny. But Claire, you were made for me" Elle paused and Claire rolled her eyes.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Claire shook her head, it was all too much, she just wanted to go home. To her studio apartment in New York and then go back to work. Something flickered across her mind that she still had an assignment to kill Elle but she knew she couldn't do it, not anymore, so she swatted the though aside.

"Claire, Gabriel used to say we worked well, I would fry him and he could heal and it was a match made in heaven. But he stole that power from you, I could pump out as much electricity as I liked and it not only wouldn't scar you though, it didn't hurt."

"You never claimed some great romantic concept before, we just fucked" Claire pointed out.

"I know, because you being able to take the overload didn't really equate to some great romance to me either. But last night, that made me realize that you were made for me, that lightening I sent at you Claire, that wasn't just charged with my ability, it was charged with everything in me. I knew you were going to kill me and I had to do something so I pushed everything, all my emotions, my desires, the fear, I pushed it all into a bolt of lightening and when it struck you it HURT you."

Elle sent a quick jolt of electricity at Claire, it scorched the skin but Claire felt nothing. Then she watched Elle concentrating hard on a new glowing ball of electricity and this time when the crackling white light hit her it hurt.

"Ouch!" Claire rubbed the spot as it healed, but her heart rate sped up and she felt adrenalin at the feel of pain. She looked at Elle in complete shock, nothing ever hurt, the first zap hadn't hurt, but somehow Elle made the second one hurt.

"We're connected me and you Claire, somewhere deep down we were made for each other. Gabriel was right, the ability to heal perfectly complements me, but he stole that from you Claire. You were made to complement me"

Claire frowned, she was skeptical of the whole made for each other nonsense, but she felt something for Elle that was stronger than anything else. There was a reason she always fell into bed with the older blonde, because she was incredibly attracted her both, both physically but also the wild spirit of Elle Bishop drew her in. Elle could touch her in a way no-one could even before she could make her hurt. But Claire had no idea where things would lead from here, it was messy and complicated and Elle was babbling like it was going to be some fairytale.

"Elle, I don't believe in all that crap, I don't think that just because you can hurt me makes us made for each other, and me being able to heal would surely be useful to a lot of peoples powers. I doubt you're the only one who has trouble controlling them when they orgasm." Elle blushed furiously as Claire pointed this out. Then looked away, she released her grip on Claire and realized the younger blonde was going to leave. She was no sap, she had laid all the rubbish out there because for some reason she loved Claire Bennett with all her heart, and for her the only way to explain it was that there was something kismet for the two of them. Elle didn't really know how else to explain falling deeply in love with someone she knew she shouldn't love and someone who for all intensive purposes was her mortal enemy. It was hard for Elle to even grasp onto the concept of love, Gabriel had tried to explain that he loved her but it never really made sense. Love was all so human, destiny was heroic. But Claire was going to leave her, there was no destiny.

"But Elle" Claire cupped the older blonde's cheek, "Even if I don't believe in all that crap, I can't walk away from you. Because you make me feel things no-one else has in a very long time, even before you could hurt me and let me feel pain." She paused, tempted to tell Elle she made her feel loved, made her feel safe. She almost said 'I love you' instead she placed a chaste kiss on Elle's lips. Soft and quick, unlike any kiss the pair had shared in the past; it was always rough, hot, furious. She pulled away and looked into Elle's eyes.

"Let's see where this thing takes us then"


	2. Chapter 2

Authors Note: There is a missing scene in this post, due to 's policy and also me trying to make livejournal friends there is a deleted scene under my tashamiller2k livejournal account. Maybe not quite NC-17 but still steamy.

CHAPTER TWO

Claire watched as Elle said her goodbyes to Noah and Gabriel. It was time to move on before they brought trouble into their lives. Elle had told Claire they would go and meet some people she thought could help them understand their own connection.

"What they can do is quite incredible" was the only cryptic explanation she had given.

"Come on, let's go" Elle laced her hand with Claire's and tugged, Claire looked over at the family Elle was leaving behind, tears were welling up in Noah's eyes but Gabriel's face was blank, unreadable like he was purposefully hiding his emotions. Elle gave a gentle tug and Claire followed her outside.

"Isn't it hard leaving him behind?" Claire asked as they walked towards the car.

"Gabriel or Noah?" Elle frowned, paused at the driver's door of her car.

"Noah, why do you ask, is it hard to leave both of them?" There was a pang of jealousy, '_ridiculous, she thinks you're her soulmate'_ she told herself.

Elle shrugged and opened the door to the car, "I guess I asked because it's the same, I'm not worried about leaving either of them. I know I should feel more about leaving my son, I know it upsets him. But to me, he is Gabriel's child … I feel more like a surrogate. That was my choice, I don't think I'd ever make a good mother" Elle hopped into the driver's seat and started the engine while Claire climbed into the passenger's side. For any normal person she may have tried to console them that would make a great mother, but Elle didn't need consoling, was perfectly happy to not be a mother to her child. She also knew she would be lying, because Elle was not cut out for parenthood, perhaps the result of her own messed up childhood. As Claire sat in the passengers seat and pulled on her seatbelt she pondered it for a moment, how she saw Elle as a sociopath, how over the years the relationship they had shared had been purely physical yet somehow natural and now there was a sudden change. Elle's description of their connection was so romanticized that Claire wondered if maybe Elle did have the same dream of many girls and women, to find true love. The car pulled out the driveway and Elle tooted the horn as she drove down the street. They sat in silence as Claire continued to think about the strange connection between the two of them, and just how much she herself had become so much like Elle.

"We're alike, you and I, aren't we?" Claire asked

Elle glanced at her before returning her focus to the road, "Not just alike, the same"

"Why do you think we are the same?" Claire asked.

Elle smiled and shook her head a little "Maybe in time you will see, perhaps you don't understand who you are enough to see how much we are the same"

Claire frowned, it was cryptic, she could have just listed things that made them the same. Blonde, once but not anymore. Young, although Elle was older it wasn't like a generational gap. Gifted, they both had powers. Adopted, she wasn't sure if Elle was Bob's biologically. Lesbians? It certainly wasn't a label she considered herself, she certainly preferred women as sexual partners but her lack of a normal social life meant she didn't bother to define her sexuality.

_**Killers**_, it dawned on Claire, over time with the lack of feeling for pain she had become as much of a sociopath as Elle. Taking orders from her own boss as Elle had from the company. No concern over those she hunted down and destroyed or brought back. She had been given an opportunity to escape the life that Elle had been thrust into and yet along the way she had become so much like the older woman and she had never realized it until now. To look at her and suddenly realize the connection was surreal. It wasn't that she wasn't aware of the sort of person she had become, but she never realized that she had become just like this person from her past, who was linked so strongly with things she had thought she was fighting against.

"Everything will make sense in time Claire, eventually you'll know everything I do and then maybe you'll see things how I do" Elle was staring down the road, there was a conviction in her voice, that maybe teaching Claire what she knew would validate everything.

"This is all so fucking insane" Claire slouched in the car seat "I really don't understand why you are so hell bent on this soul mates idea.. I _liked_ how things were going in my life" She paused in her rant and sighed "I didn't realize just how, removed I was from myself until today."

"You removed yourself from everyone Claire, it's what we do when we don't feel things like normal people"

"You sound like a fucking talk show host using psychobabble. Or a fortune cookie."

"Sorry" Elle glanced at Claire "I mean, we draw away, I was brought up on a belief that feelings were bad, I was brought up essentially on shock therapy, I have a high threshold for pain. Its not normal behavior so I remove myself from people because I don't fit well with them. When you don't fit and you don't relate, you don't care about them. It was a slow change for you, not being able to feel pain screwed something up in you, you removed yourself from everything. It's the way we both function." Elle paused "We're special Claire, we don't have to follow the same rules as everyone else" Of course only Elle would try and justify why they got to behave to carelessly.

"So you just shove them all aside, until you need a warm body" Claire mused

"You were always more to me" Elle whispered. Claire wasn't sure if she said anything at all and decided to ignore it. It gave her a strange sense of guilt that all the times they had had meaningless, wonderful, sex that Elle had been secretly in love with her. It made her feel bad, she thought they had always had a mutual arrangement, both after the same thing.

"Don't fret too much Claire, you've grown up and made your choices, surely it's no surprise to see who you are" Elle removed one hand from the wheel and patted Claire's knee. Claire frowned, the action seemed so condescending, she wasn't sure if it was meant to be honestly sympathetic or reassuring.

"I never paid that much attention really, but now, I guess it's not a surprise, I made these choices"

"Do you regret them?" Elle squeezed her leg before returning her hand to the wheel.

Claire paused, she'd never spent a moment to think about the way her actions had affected herself or anyone else, she realized she didn't regret a single moment in her entire life. "No" She shook her head and felt a tear escape her eye.

"You're not a horrible person for that Claire, there is no point dwelling on what could have been, we just have to keep moving forward."

"That's all I've done for a long time, just kept pushing forward."

Elle stared out the window and kept driving. The car barreling down the road, there was nothing to do but move forward.

Claire blinked a few times before she realized she had dozed off. She stretched her neck and listened to the bones click as she moved out of her uncomfortable sleeping position. The car was stationary, Claire looked out at the gas station forecourt but there was no sign of Elle. Unbuckling her belt Claire decided to at least stretch her legs a little while she waited for Elle to return to the car. She climbed out and stood next to the car and looked back out at the road, stretched her arms over her head and enjoyed the sound of her bones and joints moving under the skin. She turned back to the gas station in time to see Elle returning to the car.

"We stopping anywhere?" Claire asked "Or I could take over driving if you like"

"That's sweet, but I'm ok. We'll stop somewhere for the night"

"Dingy Motel" Claire winked at Elle. The older woman smiled and got into the car, she felt a shiver of lust as she recalled other times her and Claire had shared a motel room. She put the key in the ignition and lingered on the thought of their old encounters, as she turned the key and the car came to life she could almost smell the sex, the smell that used to linger after Claire had left and she would lay in the sheets just awhile longer. As she pulled out onto the road again she realized that in the morning, when she woke up Claire would still be there because it was no longer Claire who held a strange power over Elle but the other way around.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPER THREE

Elle ignored another text message, deleting it before tucking her phone back into her jeans. She was spending this time with Claire, she wasn't going to take on any missions at the moment. She stretched out on the motel bed and wondered how long Claire was going to spend in the shower, wondering if she should maybe join her.

Her cell started ringing suddenly and she sighed. She could ignore text messages but knew should answer the phone.

"Hi Noah" She spoke curtly into the microphone.

"Elle, is everything alright?" A rough, tired voice greeted her.

"Everything is A.O.K. Just peachy"

"I just thought I would check on you"

"I don't need checking up on, sorry I'm bit busy so I don't want to take on any new assignments."

"I know they sent her after you Elle" He sounded off. Letting her know he wasn't just checking up on her, but in a way checking up on Claire. Elle knew he was feeling conflicted, if Elle was alive his best agent was still alive, but if she was alive his assumption was his daughter was dead. The same assumption everyone was making.

"Noah" Elle wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want to explain that Claire was alive, so close in fact, and very naked and wet.

"It's ok Elle, I don't blame you, you two would come to head eventually. I knew Nathan would turn around and take out some of my … freelancers"

Elle smiled to herself at the term. Noah always tried to find polite ways to describe those who worked for them, she preferred hired assassin, it had a nice ring to it.

The bathroom door opened and Claire was standing in the doorframe wrapped in a towel. Elle's heart fluttered a little and she felt in unmistakable rise of lust as she took in Claire's form. Dark damp hair falling around her shoulders, rivulets of water running down her collarbone towards her cleavage.

"Elle, are you there" Noah asked.

"Sorry, I have to go" Elle clicked the phone shut. Noah would leave her alone for awhile. Eventually she'd let him know Claire was alive, and she'd let Claire know the father she thought was dead was alive and kicking.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Claire asked as she moved into the room.

"Not at all" Elle stood and moved towards Claire, pulling her close she pressed her lips against Claire's. "Fuck you look hot" She mumbled before biting down on a sensitive spot on Claire's neck.

Claire shuddered. It felt just like old times, Elle always seemed to start things, unable to just be in Claire's presence without contact. It was another dingy motel room, just like old times, but as Elle's kisses moved up her neck to recapture her lips Claire could feel there wasn't the same sense of urgency there had been before. The anger of previous nights together wasn't there. There wasn't a build up of tension, of trading blows until it turned to kisses. It was apparent that there was more between them now.

Elle's fingers moved lazily across her skin, her kisses were gentle, punctuated by the occasional bit to spots which made Claire moan. It was surreal, an almost tangible feeling as Elle dropped kisses on Claire's damp skin, it felt almost normal, like two people who were in love would behave with one another, soft and gentle. It was comforting and disconcerting at the same time, the shift in their dynamic left Claire feeling hopeful but also scared she would loose the way Elle had made her feel when they simply fucked. Elle moved her hands over Claire's exposed skin and the younger woman was quickly overheating from the simple touches and kisses. Elle kissed across Claire's shoulder then bit down softly, as Elle bit down Claire gasped softly and delicious feeling of pleasure that came coupled with the unique sensation of _pain _that only Elle seemed capable of providing.

* * *

Elle woke up with Claire curled up against her, the sun was creeping into their motel room. There was a slight smell of burnt flesh hanging in the air and a more prominent smell of sex. Elle smiled and brushed her fingers through Claire's dark hair, she felt at peace, more content and happy than she had ever been. She would have never admitted it to anyone but Elle was desperate for this sort of moment. She felt like as long as she had Claire that she could take on anything. Smiling to herself Elle knew that in time they would fulfil a destiny that would see them become more powerful than ever before.

* * *

They pulled up outside an incredibly normal looking home and Elle cut the engine. She was already grinning like a child, bounced out of the car and beckoned for Claire to follow as she bounded up the steps.

Elle pounded on the door as Claire walked up the path behind her, cautious of this strange place, not sure where Elle had taken her. The door was opened by an older man, his hair greying and a face of wrinkles showing his age, although he still looked in great shape.

"Elle!" He greeted the blonde with a big hug.

"Hey Ryan, I brought someone" She pointed at Claire, "This is Claire, I wanted to show her what you and Beverly can do, I think it might answer some questions."

Ryan nodded and brought them into the house.

"Beverly is out with some friends, playing bridge, but she'll be home later. Would you like a cup of tea?" Ryan had a warm and friendly attitude. Claire wondered how Elle knew him, or why she seemed to have such a friendly relaxed relationship with him.

"Yes please, milk, no sugar" Elle flopped down on Ryan's sofa and the older man chuckled at her.

"Make yourself at home then Elle." He turned to Claire "And you dear, tea?"

"Yes thanks, black, two sugars" Claire said absently as she took in their surroundings. It was all quite drab, exactly as you would expect from an old couple, probably retired. Photos on the wall of family nick nacks on shelves. Modest furniture and a simple television no flashy gadgets or electronics. Claire sat next to Elle on the sofa as Ryan made tea.

"Elle, why are we here?" Claire tried to keep her voice down, not wanting Ryan to be aware of how clueless she was about their visit.

"Oh wait till Bev gets home, then they'll show you" Elle picked up the TV remote and turned it on.

"How do you know these people?"

_Elle stared glumly out the window as Bob drove up to a plain suburban household. _

"_Come on Elle, Beverly has made you cookies."_

_Elle pouted "Who are these people daddy? It took ages to get here"_

"_They're your godparents Elle and they'd like to meet you"_

"They're my godparents" Elle said simply as she flicked through TV channels. This just raised a whole bunch of new questions for Claire, she had no idea Elle had anything resembling family.


	4. Chapter 4 to 6

AN I've been updated this over at my livejournal (as tashamiller2k) and thought I should update it here. Steamier version is at LJ for those who are interested.

Chapter Four

Claire watched in amazement as Beverly created a small flame in the palm of her hand. Ryan also held a flickering flame in his hand.

"So … I'm still confused" Claire watched as they both extinguished the fire.

"It's Ryan's power, the flame. Beverly can summon weather, just like Storm from X-Men"

"We've been together a very long time Claire, over the years our bond just grew stronger and stronger. I can't summon fire quite as powerful as Ryan can, and I need him nearby to be able to do it, but we can summon each others power"

Claire looked at Elle, wide eyed amazement "It's sort of like Peter can do" she mused.

"Sort of, it comes naturally to Peter, but for everyone else, if there is a connection between them, they can learn to use each other powers"

"Are there others who can do this?" Claire had never imagined anyone at all could learn another's power.

"There are no other documented cases, Bev and Ryan are the only case I know of, and it seems only because they are so incredibly in love."

Ryan chuckled "I'm still crazy about her" and wrapped his wife in a big hug.

"But there is one other instance I know of" Elle's eyes danced and she grinned.

"Me and Claire"

Claire's brow furrowed "What the fuck are you on about Elle, we haven't used each others powers"

"I have" Elle was bursting with excitement to be sharing the information, Claire could see the excitement dancing across her face. She realised part of this was to be able to share the news with her godparents. "When I electrocuted Claire the other night, it hurt her, the first time she had felt pain for … well a long time. But when I fried Claire I noticed, all the cuts, scratches and bruises from the day vanished. I didn't just pump all my power into Claire, it created some bond, there was some connection and her power worked for me also" She was smiling softly.

Claire shook her head in amazement. It seemed everything that had happened between them that night on the rooftop had started some much deeper bond between the two girls.

"That's incredible Elle" Ryan was looking at her thoughtfully. "There are very few cases of this. Your father was always interested in the empathy function, and the general crossover of powers"

"Do you think it's something everyone could do?" Claire mused

"It takes a special person to be able to assume other people's abilities, people like Gabriel and Peter are rare, but when there is a special bond, I think we could all do it" Beverly smiled softly at Claire. She felt very unnerved suddenly, sitting in this normal suburban home, it was a strange feeling that rushed over her from nowhere. Claire realised why Elle had brought her here, it was a meet the family moment laced with their superhero destiny. She glanced over at Elle who was beaming, obviously excited that she could achieve with someone what her godparents could.

Claire stared at the comfy looking queen bed. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep, Elle on the other hand still seemed to be in some highly excitable mood. Blue sparks of electricity had started cracking across her skin. Closing the door to the guest bedroom Elle moved close and wrapped her arms around Claire. She placed a soft kiss on Claire's temple.

"Maybe I should have told you about the healing sooner"

"Maybe" Claire agreed. "I can see where this made for each other stuff is coming from Elle, you understand I am sceptical of this"

Elle's face fell "Oh .. " she pulled herself away slightly before Claire pulled her back into a tight embrace.

"Hey, come here" Claire growled, pressing her lips against Elle's before speaking again. "I don't want this to be some special powers fairytale Elle, I'm here because I like you and I want to be with you. Screw destiny and fuck all this stuff about powers. I like _you_." She punctuated this with another kiss.

Pulling back Elle's eyes were dancing with pure happiness. Claire couldn't help but grin. Somehow, since the night on the roof, Elle had seem revitalised and teeming with the energy of a young child. Something about this new energy really excited Claire, it drew her in.

"So I'm knackered" Claire said softly, her fingers idly playing with Elle's hair.

"You slept in the car" Elle pouted a little. Claire chuckled before moving away from Elle and began to undress. She heard Elle let out frustrated noise as Claire quickly discarded clothing before climbing into bed completely naked.

"And now you are going to torment me by sleeping naked?" Elle asked

"Oh just get into bed and let's get some sleep" Claire grinned "Besides I always sleep naked."

Elle grinned and started to undress also "Oh I could get used to this" Stripping down she climbed under the covers. Moving to spoon Claire she wrapped her arms around the younger woman, their bodies fitting together. Elle smiled into Claire's dark hair then placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"Goodnight Claire"

Claire smiled, feeling comfortable wrapped in Elle's arms, she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight Elle"

Claire was woken by Elle's cell phone early the next morning. She watched Elle fumble through her pockets of discarded clothes to find it.

"What?!" She grumbled into the phone.

Claire listened to Elle's side of the conversation as she lay in bed.

"Who told you?"

"No I am sorry, I just thought we could have some peace"

"Yes, yes she's with me"

"No I haven't"

"No I can't"

"Find someone else"

Elle hung up then looked over at Claire who was watching her.

"Who calls you so early?" Claire asked, stretching.

"Work" Elle responded, quickly clambering back into bed.

"You have a job?" Claire smirked.

"Not like regular hours, I'm a contractor of sorts."

"Hired assassin type of contractor" Claire asked.

Elle giggled. "Yeap, pretty much"

Claire frowned a little "I never realised you worked for someone specific, I guess that explains why you would often appear when I was on missions"

"Yea probably, we get hired by all sorts of people. Pinehearst even use us themselves on occasion. However there has been a recent falling out"

"How do you know that?" Claire asked as she pushed back the covers and began to get dressed.

"Well you were sent to kill me, it was a message. I'm one of the highest paid contractors, company trained, lethal ability; it was a message if not part of an outright attempt to shut them down"

"I never realised" Claire pulled on her shirt, she turned now fully dressed and smiled at Elle who was still completely naked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You never wondered why they wanted me dead?"

"I don't ask many questions" Claire shrugged.

"Maybe you should" Elle chewed on her lip a little. Claire just shrugged again and headed towards the door.

"Do you think Beverly will be awake? I'm dying for a coffee"

"Yea, head on down, she's probably started cooking us a five star breakfast already."

Chapter Five

Beverly giggled as Ryan pulled her close.

"Careful I don't want to burn the eggs" She smiled, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Good Morning" Claire greeted them as she wandered into their scene of marital bliss.

"Good Morning Claire, would you like some bacon and eggs" Beverly smiled warmly at Claire. She reminded her of her own mother, so maternal. It caused a pang of sadness and Claire thought of her adoptive mother. After Noah had died she just hadn't been the same, no longer the warm and frightfully strong willed woman Claire remembered.

"I would love some. Coffee too if you have some"

"Of course we do" Ryan smiled, turning to pour Claire a cup.

"Did you sleep well?" Beverly asked. There was a twinkle in her eye and some hidden knowledge in her smile.

"Oh yea" Claire brought her coffee to her lips and enjoyed the hot liquid sliding down her throat.

"So, have you been able to use Elle's ability then?" Ryan suddenly asked.

"No, I" She paused, her brown wrinkled as she thought of all the information she had taken in over the past few days. How her fuck-buddy had turned into her soul mate over night. "I didn't know it was possible, it's been a bit full on recently, with Elle, I never realised our connection was so strong"

"There are some people you are drawn to, it takes time but often you realise why there was that connection" Beverly offered. Claire looked at her, she was right she had always been drawn to Elle, but surely it couldn't be some great destiny playing out. Surely it was just because she thought the older woman was so damn _fuckable_.

"It's always been sort of, complicated" Claire gulped down more of her coffee.

"Elle is complicated" Beverly placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Claire "She hasn't had the best of upbringings and we've seen her struggle to get on the right path. After Bob's death she was lost for a long time. The way she looks at you Claire, this connection you share, I think this is finally something to give her grounding"

Claire opened her mouth, about to ask for elaboration when Elle suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"I smell bacon" She announced cheerily before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Claire sat staring at the electricity sparking off Elle's skin.

"Come on Claire, I know you can do this." The blue lightening stopped and Elle suddenly straddled Claire.

"You don't believe me?" She asked looking down at the brunette.

"I believe it's possible" Claire replied.

"But you don't think you are capable" Claire could see hurt in Elle's eyes as the older woman rose off her.

"I don't know what I think" Claire shook her head, her power was so passive, she was a little scared of trying to evoke the raw energy that Elle could.

"Jus try" Elle started to spark, sending a shot at the cans she had lined up in Beverly's garden.

Claire stood and closed her eyes, recalling the feeling of Elle's electricity creeping into her skin as she tried to imagine how Elle managed to bring about such raw energy from seemingly nowhere. As she tried to concentrate her mind suddenly wandered to the very first time they fell into bed together. The memory of the first time that electricity snaked over her willing and naked body seemed to trickle across her skin again. She opened her eyes, feeling a little dejected that she couldn't summon Elle's power. As her eyes fluttered open she thought she saw blue sparks releasing from her fingertips, she looked up and locked eyes with Elle who was grinning like the cat who got the cream.

"Did I just …" Claire was speechless; she was stunned to find that she could.

"If we practice, it will get stronger, more powerful. Shit Claire you would be unstoppable"

Claire smiled at Elle "I was quite capable of pointing and shooting Elle, I've always been pretty unstoppable"

Elle's smile falters as she realizes the flaw in her logic "Oh I guess so"

Claire takes a few steps closer and pulls Elle into a hug "But you know you'd be pretty unstoppable if you master my power"

Elle grinned and pressed her lips against Claire's.

"Only if we're together" She reminded the younger woman with another kiss.

~*~

Beverly brings them fresh mugs of coffee as Claire stands in the backyard shooting sparks at cans. Elle has her arms wrapped around Claire's wait, her chin resting on the other girls shoulder as she watches Claire fire electricity at tin cans. She removes herself as Bev hands her a coffee.

"It's been lovely having you girls here, are you sure you can't stay?" She asks.

It's been almost a week that Claire and Elle have spent with Beverly and Ryan. Elle's godparents had been very accommodating and happy to have the young women in their home.

"It's time to go, I have to go check in at work" Elle sips at her coffee. She smiles at Claire who is greedily gulping down her own coffee. Elle has noticed Claire's habit with hot drinks unnerves Bev. The thought of the hot liquid scarring her throat then knitting back together irks the older woman.

"Do you think they'll take me on too? I don't really feel like heading back to Pinehearst" Claire thinks after all she was doing she would want to go back to her old job. But she knows her first mission would be to finish the job with Elle and she wasn't prepared to kill her lover. Not anymore.

"I'm sure they'd be ecstatic to have you on the books" Elle smiles at Claire. It's going to be a big shock when they arrive at Noah Bennet's new offices.

She knows Noah isn't expecting her to bring Claire along for the new debriefing, he probably assumes they would part ways and Claire would return to Pinehearst and her biological father's work. Instead Claire was following Elle towards her adoptive father. Elle just hoped this wasn't going to blow up in her face and Claire would be happy to find out he was alive. She smiled softly at Claire.

"We should finish packing" She turns and pulls Bev into a big hug "That you for everything" She smiles at her godmother after pulling away.

"Just promise you'll visit more" Beverly smiles softly. Elle nods and they both know there is a chance they will never see each other again.

Claire watches the scenery whip by as Elle drives. She is curious to meet the people that Elle has been working for. She smiles a little as she thinks about what the future will hold for the two of them. She can imagine them heading off on missions, taking down various dangerous 'specials'. She glanced at Elle and felt her heart flutter a little. Claire hated to admit it, but maybe she was destined to be with Elle. Quietly Claire focused on the woman driving and then began to feel the sparks tingle over her fingers. Elle looked over at Claire and smiled.

"Don't worry, it won't be long till we can try this all out for real. Once we get the new assignment you'll be able to blast away to your hearts content"

Claire grinned at Elle and chuckled. She had some other plans for her new little trick. A motel sign caught Claire's eye as it whipped past and her smile grew. She was looking forward to the evening. Being out of Beverly and Ryans home meant there would be no restrictions tonight.

Chapter Six

Claire glared at the GPS in Elle's car. She looks over at her companion who is slumbering in the passenger's seat, her face is pressed against the window and Claire cannot bring herself to wake her up. She wishes the GPS hadn't led her down a dead end street. Elle had let her drive and she didn't want to get lost, it didn't help that she didn't know where they were or where they were going but the handy gadget was meant to fix than problem.

"Where are we" Elle asked, blinking her eyes rapidly as she woke-up.

"Lost" Claire stated simply, throwing her hands up in desperation. Elle looks around then laughs at the brunette.

"We're here Claire" She unbuckles her seatbelt then stretches, she pulls a face as she hears the bones pop and shift in their sockets.

"Oh, good" Claire grins, pleasantly surprised to find she had gotten to their location safely. "So we go meet your boss now?" She asked.

"Yea" Elle steps out of the car then shadows her face with her hand. She hopes they haven't been spotted yet, he doesn't know she has brought Claire with her. She hopes it all works out in the end. Claire is already bouncing around the car, eager for Elle to lead her to the new chapter in her life. Elle smiles at the younger girl, she had always seen Claire's desire to rise to the occasion and be a real hero. It was no surprise that she would be eager to be back in action. It was complicated though, Claire was essentially switching sides. She hoped Nathan wasn't aware Claire was still alive; she needed everyone here to be on board before they discovered their best agent was alive, kicking and not to mention sleeping with the enemy.

"Elle" Noah smiles as he lets Elle into his office.

"I brought someone with me, she's waiting" Elle had left Claire with the receptionist.

"I know, I don't think I should see her Elle, I don't know what you hoped to accomplish here."

"She wants to fight for you, for us"

"How did you manage to convince her of this?" Noah raises his eyebrows. Elle had a lot of things going for her as an agent, she could certainly be persuasive but he doubted Claire would fall into Elle's trap.

"I have my ways" a telltale smirk and Noah feels a rush of nausea at the realisation that his beloved daughter had indeed fallen for Elle's charm.

"Don't look at me like that" Elle growls, she knows what he is thinking. She wishes she could tell him it was all innocent. High school romance and holding hands, but their relationship came from exactly the scenario Noah was probably imagining.

"She's my little girl Elle" Noah shakes his head. "She's grown up so much hasn't she?" He knows he has to accept the changes in his girl. He wishes Elle hadn't brought her here, he doesn't want to confront this.

"It's time Noah, it's time to deal with everything now" She tries to stand tall but she always felt a level of insecurity around Noah Bennet. He's a man she has always respected and a man she wanted to please. In recent years he has become a father figure of sorts for her, not that she had any other male role models since her father passing.

"She can take missions, she doesn't need to meet me" He really doesn't want to be confronted with the young woman his daughter has become.

"We have something to show you Noah." Elle smiles softly "We have this connection, it's … well I can't explain it"

"I don't think I want to know this Elle"

Elle smirks at him "Not that, look we'll just show you"

Noah nods and calls through to his receptionist to send in Claire.

The door slowly opened and the brunette poked her head in. The excitement on her features quickly melted into shock. She hadn't expected to be confronted with the man she thought was dead.

"Dad?"


	5. Chapter 7 and Eight Final Parts

Chapter Seven

"Dad?" Claire took a step back in shock, her hand still poised on the door handle. She was confused and apprehensive about the sudden appearance of her supposedly deceased adoptive father.

"Hello Claire" He greeted her with a smile, somehow still holding his fatherly love but with a sadness and disappointment behind the smile.

"Surprise" Elle made a flailing motion with her arms as she deadpanned. She knew this reunion wouldn't be all merriment.

"You're the head honcho?" Claire stared at him with surprise, her brow furrowing. "Nathan knew" she then turned and stared at Elle "And you knew" She looked back at Noah. "And no-one bothered to tell me you've been alive all this time!" Elle took a step towards Claire. She knew this could potentially fuck up everything because she hadn't told Claire sooner. Suddenly Claire was barrelling into her, arms gripped at Elle's waist and Claire's body pressed against the older girl. Her first thought was that Claire was attacking her, before she realised it was a hug. She wrapped her arms around the brunette and softly spoke into her ear.

"Hey what's wrong?" This was not one of the potential outcomes Elle had been prepared for. She'd been prepared for violence, hatred. She thought there was a possibility she'd understand but this wasn't expected at all. This was so completely unlike Claire, who was stubbornly self sufficient, to throw herself to Elle for comfort. Then again Elle thought wryly, that was the original basis of their relationship, not as complex as it was now but essentially Claire throwing herself at Elle for the comfort of a warm body. Claire took a breath then softly spoke.

"I had no idea he could be alive"

"Claire" Noah spoke tentatively; he was surprised to see the affection between the two girls. He didn't know how to explain things to his daughter. About his supposed death. He knew a time would come to explain that, right now Noah was more curious about the bond between the two young women in front of him. Claire turned and smiled at Noah, she pulled away from Elle then grabbed for the older girls hand and entwined their fingers.

"I want to show you something Dad, something that will make me and Elle an unstoppable team" She smiled at Elle then raised a hand, sparks of electricity fired off from her finger tips.

Noah's eyes grew wide he then looked at Elle who was beaming. Obviously the older girl was excited about Claire's new ability.

"How the hell can you do that" He rubbed his temples. The first thought was that his daughter was devouring brains, but Elle was right there; alive and well.

"There is something between us, some connection that means we can use each others power"

Noah scoffed "I've never heard of such a thing."

Claire frowned "You don't know of Beverly and Ryan?"

"Who?"

"Elle's god parents."

Noah looked at Elle quizzically, he had no idea she had any family left at all. Bob had never mentioned god parents or any relations. Elle was looking at her feet.

"Elle?" Claire looked at her "They were really your god parent's right?" Claire was confused, the easy relationship Elle had with them explained it all but she was confused as to why Noah had no idea.

"Dad kept them a secret from the company" Elle explained curtly. So much confusion ran through Claire's mind, why would he keep them a secret yet subject his own daughter to the company. Her confusion was evident on her face, Elle just shrugged in response. She had no idea how her father's mind or loyalties had worked, her god parents were a secret, their shared powers not to be exploited. Elle was another story and she would never know why Bob felt she didn't deserve to be hidden like Beverly and Ryan.

"So" Noah looked between the girls "You can really use each others powers?"

"We have a special connection" Elle grins and grips Claire's hand. Noah feels uneasy about this. Elle wasn't a particularly stable young woman, this could be an asset on missions but he didn't really like the idea of her and his beloved daughter, dating? Was that what they were doing? He shook his head and tried not to think too much about that context of their relationship, best to focus on the abilities thing first.

"Well, I'm sure this will be useful" He sits back down at his desk and files through paperwork looking for the file he had put aside for Elle. He finds it and passes it over to the blonde.

"Here, let's get this out the way, then we should .." He pauses and looks at the girl's entwined hands "Discuss this some more"

He needs time to process this, to think about the many implications of his daughter joining his new organisation. The implications of her relationship with Elle and of course their shared powers.

Claire loves the feeling of hot water rush over her body. She loves the smell from the body wash she located. She loves everything about the small cubicle she is in at the moment apart from the fact Elle was currently not there with her. Instead Elle was sitting in the living room of the small one bedroom apartment and munching on Chinese food. They had different priorities once they reached Elle's place. It was a simple place, a crash pad as opposed to a home. Not too far from head office, close to town. A perfect location for her lifestyle. Elle had quickly ordered in takeaways and although Claire had tried to entice her into a joint shower the older woman wanted her damn food. Claire sighs and rinses out her hair then shuts off the water. She wraps a towel around her body then returns to the living room. Elle is shovelling food from the takeout containers into her mouth as she idly flips through pages of the file Noah had handed them.

"So what's our assignment" Claire asks, dropping onto the couch next to the blonde and grabbing an egg roll.

"Just go kill some dude" Elle shrugs and Claire frowns. She reaches for the document Elle is looking over. She figures there must be more too it. There is more to the document, her father has laid out in great detail who their target is, best times to reach him. What his power is. But the bottom line is as simple as Elle put it, their job is simply to remove this guy from the face of the earth.

"Are they always like this?" Claire asks.

"Was your last job that different?" Elle counters and Claire is a little taken back by Elle's defensive response.

"Well no, Pinehearst was all for the killing of people. I just wondered if we would do other things also"

Elle gave her an apologetic half smile "Yea, well sometimes we are asked to protect people, or things. Noah doesn't give me many of that sort of assignment though."

Claire smiles at Elle, she knows it's probably not something that should make her heart flutter, but the simple statement warms her. It is who Elle is, a trained killer. They are bother killers, both good at the job. Claire moves to straddle the older woman and lets her towel drop, her fingers weave into Elle's hair and she presses her lips against the other woman's'. Strong arms wrap around her waist and Elle stands up, Claire wraps her legs around her waist as the blonde manoeuvres them to the bedroom. Claire is glad Elle has decided to remove her attention from the food. Elle tosses the naked Claire onto the bed and stares down at her with a predatory smile as she begins to unbutton her shirt. Claire grins back, she loves the smirk in Elle's eyes, she loves that soon their naked bodies would be pressed against each other. She also loves that tomorrow they will be stalking and killing, together.

Chapter Eight.

Claire's eyes flutter shut as she sits in the overheating car. Stakeouts are intensely boring. The door opens and she bolts upright. Elle grins and silently hands her a sluhso before staring out the window and watching the building. They sit in silence, sipping on their flavoured drinks as they watch and wait for their target to appear. Claire feels wound up, she's itching for some action. More than she realised she would be. It's been a nice break since Elle electrocuted her on the rooftops but she is itching to get back into the game. She is also itching to prove herself to her father. Although she had worked for Nathan she never had any desire to prove herself to him, her desire to achieve more was never to impress him, it was always to try and prove she was capable of doing things Noah was trying to shield her from. Now she wanted to show her father that she had grown up, that she was capable of taking on the 'family business'. She smiles at Elle who is sipping at her drink and staring out the window. They would be the next generation, where Bob and Noah had been a big part of the company herself and Elle would be able to bring around a new era. It warmed her to think that they had a future together. That they were going to be important in building a new future. She never realised that there would be a division drawn between her biological and adoptive fathers. In the end the side she chose was because of Elle rather than Noah, all the same she had determination to prove herself to him.

"There he is" Elle turns the key in the ignition and the hunt is on.

The car creeps along behind their target and Claire feels the excitement build in her, the anticipation that very soon they will get to test out their combined powers.

Noah looks over the notes spread out on his desk. There are a few references to joint powers, to empaths like Peter and siblings with certain links. However the nature of Elle and Claire's connection was new an unusual to him. He grumbled as he looked over his notes. Pinehearst were bound to be looking for Claire soon, he wanted to have things figured out before Nathan found out Claire had switched allegiance. As if on que his receptionist paged him.

"Nathan Petrelli is on the phone, line one"

Noah picked up the phone. "Nathan" He greeted him curtly  
"Hello Noah, I have an assignment I'm hoping you could help me with"

"Oh really? Now why would I help you Nathan. You tried to eliminate my best operative"

"Yes well I'm willing to offer a hefty cash reward here Noah, more than usual"

His brain ticked over, money always helped and he was curious as to what exactly Nathan wanted.

"What is the assignment then?" He asked.

"I need you to find Claire for me, she's gone missing since the altercation with your agent"

Noah smirks. Of course Nathan wants her back in his team, he wouldn't have a clue what had happened between the two young women

"Alive then?" He asks.

"Dead" Nathan's voice is stern, he is deadly serious.

"You're asking me to put a hit out on my own daughter?" Noah spluttered. It was a ridiculous request.

"She's my flesh and blood Noah, she's also a risk to us. I think you will agree Noah, I don't think you will issue a challenge against me"

Noah laughed "My operative took down your most prized team member Nathan, who has now gone AWAL. I don't think you are in a position to tell me that to do"

He could hear the steady breathing at the other end of the line.

"I'd be careful Noah. I'll give you time to think about this"

He hung up and smirked. He had thought about this. He pulled open a blank template on his computer then grabbed a folder from his drawer, he started typing up the details for a new mission. He'd be playing his cards close to his chest and working with Nathan while waiting for a moment to take him down. Now was the time, with Elle and Claire leading his best freelancers Noah felt now was possibly the best time to launch his attack. With Elle and Claire sharing powers it would cause enough confusion to give them an upper hand, along with the addition of two indestructible team members.

Claire smiled as she slid into the crisp clean sheets of Elle's bed.

"I could get used to this, your bed is comfy" she stretches out, lacing her fingers together and pushing them behind her head, her fingers brushing against the headboard.

"I could get used to this also" Elle smirks, her eyes raking over her partners body. She licks her lips as she thinks about the possibilities of Claire's current position.

"Joining me soon?" Claire grins as she wriggles further down under the sheets as she watches the other girl move around the room.

"Soon" She laughs softly. The day has been too perfect, hunting down a dangerous 'special' and eliminating him with Claire had been exciting. Their first mission had left adrenaline pumping through her body. She wasn't ready for bed yet, she looked over at Claire who is watching her expectedly. She's certain at least some of her pent up energy will be unleashed.

"Come on Elle, get your ass over here" Claire whines. She glances down at her hand, suddenly firing up a spark which she tossed at Elle.

"Ow!" Elle exclaimed before turning and pouncing on top of the younger woman.

"I'll get you for that" She grins, her fingers tracing over Claries bare skin before jolting her with electricity.

"Fuck" Claire grunts as the electricity flows through her. She convulses a little then crushes her lips against Elle's when the current stops. Claire makes quick work of removing Elle's clothing. She's never felt more excited or eager to feel the other girls flesh against her own. As she presses her lips against Elle's collarbone she mumbles.

"I love you" Elle shifts a little her fingers hesitate is their movements. Claire realises what has just happened and she moves her head to look directly in the other girls eyes. She can see the emotions swimming the electric blue orbs and she knows this is exactly where they both belong.

"I love you too princess." Elle smirks before pressing their lips together. Her fingers quickly sliding over Claire's exposed skin and sending short shots of electricity through her. Elle smiles as she runs kisses across Claire's jaw, then moves to her stomach. The kisses move lower as she pushes down the pair of shorts the younger woman is wearing. Claire is already bucking her hips in anticipation before Elle reaches her destination. Blue sparks flick from Claire's fingertips as she latches them into Elle's hair. The pain is minimal as Elle pressed on with the task at hand, she knows any damage Claire does will be healed and she grins because she knows that this is simply perfect. She's never had a lover that she could give and take so much with, the physical pain, the sexual pleasure and even her entire heart and soul. As she presses her tounge against the younger woman's clit she feels Claire's pleasure transferred into her as burning pain. She's getting used to the sensation of her power being used against her and then Claire's power fixing her up as good as new. Elle grinned as she slides two fingers inside her lover, rewarded with another jolt of electricity.

"Fuck" Claire mumbles as she fingers tighten in Elle's hair. Her head rolls back and she can't help but unleash more electricity into Elle.

Chapter Nine,

Elle stares at Noah then back down at the carefully planned map spread on the boardroom table.

"Naturally Elle is in charge, she is the senior operative on this one" Noah has been explaining their full on assault of Pinehearst's facilities. He has plans, maps and intricate details of their facilities he'd been collecting for awhile,

"You want me to be in charge of this lot?" She asks, waving her arm around the room at the other dozen or so 'specials' Noah has assembled.

"I know usually I let you all do things your way as long as the mission gets done but this requires a bit more finesse"

Claire snorts from her position leaning against the wall. She's still not sure how she feels about this situation, if she should have an allegiance to HRG who raised her or to Nathan, her biological father and the organisation she had been working for. She's been hanging back. Although she has enjoyed her work as a 'freelancer' so far she's suddenly realised Noah's greater ambition means she had to pick a side.

Elle smirks at her partner "Hey I can have finesse"

"You're slightly more inclined to just fry things than to try and do it neatly. Which although I certainly appreciate I'm not sure it's always the best method" She smirks, she knows her decision to help take down Pinehearst was purely to be with Elle, she was the source of her new power and the source of the only pain she could feel. Being around the older woman was the only thing that made Claire feel human anymore and she wasn't going to turn her back on that for a man who'd been a glorified sperm donor before being her boss.

"Well" Noah coughs "Regardless of her tactics I'm putting Elle in charge" Elle and Claire blasting into Pinehearst wasn't exactly a bad plan as far as Noah could see. Elle's piggybacking Claire's power meant she was indestructible; the other operatives were backup, expendable if things didn't go well. He just needed Elle and Claire back safe and sound. He had raised both girls in a way and wanted his daughters back as much as the valuable assets they had become.

Claire located Nathan's office easily, she smiled at Elle who was trailing behind her, Noah's other hired help were fanning out around the building with other tasks and carrying out general destruction. They of course were sent after the big boss. She pushed open the heavy mahogany doors.

"Claire!" Nathan exclaimed as his daughter sauntered into his office. The infiltration had been flawless and he was completely unaware that most of the facility had already been compromised while he'd been trying to change the toner in his photocopier.

"Nathan" She replied curtly.

"I'm so glad to see you, we have a little situation"

She casually flops down into a chair and waits for his explanation.

"I think the time has come to take down the little assassin agency we've been letting run"

"You already tried to get me to take out Elle, that didn't work" She watches him carefully as he tries to access something on his computer. His frown indicates that the server would be down. Her boys are probably idly smashing apart the IT department right now.

"Well, no it didn't. But we can work something out" He continues to tap at the keyboard. Claire starts to fire small sparks from her fingertips, watching the blue light spark as she speaks

"I think they've won Nathan"

He looks up, completely baffled as he notices the sparks coming from his daughter's fingers.

"They haven't won yet" he tries to reason as his brain tries to connect why Claire is sparking. Elle suddenly pushes open the heavy door to his office.

"I think you'll find its over" Elle is clam and confident as Nathan quickly grabs a run sitting on his desk. He fires off a quick shot, ripping apart Elle's shoulder.

"Fuck!" She exclaims as they both watch the wound heal over instantly "that fucking hurt!" she inspects her shoulder before glaring at Nathan.

Claire looks over at Elle concerned "Baby are you ok?"

"Yea" Elle pokes the spot where the bullet wound has healed over "It heals fine, but I don't have that whole no pain deal you do" She then sparks up some lightening from her fingers and turns to a shocked and confused Nathan.

"So are we frying him to oblivion or taking him home?"

Before Claire can answer Nathan has made his escape, shattering the window of the high-rise and disappearing into the sky.

"Crap" Elle runs to the smashed window.

"It's ok" Claire stands by the window with her lover. She presses her lips softly against the older woman's neck before turning her head and pressing their lips together. "He can run, it won't matter."

When Claire stepped out of the building into the bright sunlight her fingers were laced with Elle's. The rest of the team followed them as they sauntered over to the parking lot to the black van Noah had given them. Smoke was curling out the building as the team clambered into the van.

"Do you think it's enough?" Claire asked as Elle started the van.

Someone in the back let out a short snort, obviously thinking it a stupid question.

"No" Elle replied as they peeled out of the parking lot. Her foot heavy on the accelerator her attention was suddenly focused on the road ahead, not offering Claire any further explanation.

"It's only enough to get them off Noah's back" Jacob was speaking from behind her. "It's been his plan for a long time, he knows who are loyal operatives are and he always wanted to take down Pinehearst"

"I guess we are just the opportunity he was waiting for" Claire muses.

"You and Elle are something of an unstoppable force. This is just the beginning of a war Claire, you'll see" He then turns his attention elsewhere. Claire watches her lover's focus on the road ahead. She's prepared for this, for the battle that was essentially between her two fathers, the one who raised her and the one she shares genetics with.

"We'll win" Elle mutters as she continues to drive.

"We're indestructible" Claire adds with a smirk. Elle's eyes briefly leave the road and connect with Claire's. Both girls know this is how it should be, the bond they had shared has grown and now they are ready to take on anything that Nathan will throw at them.

"Me and you babe" Elle smiles "Two of a kind."

END


End file.
